


The Mysterious Wreath

by Small_Hobbit



Series: The Inspector Durin Mysteries [2]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Law Enforcement, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:35:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23067100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Small_Hobbit/pseuds/Small_Hobbit
Summary: Another case for Inspector Thorin Durin, and one which he hopes Bilbo Baggins, who runs a high class gardening school, will be able to help.
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins & Thorin Oakenshield
Series: The Inspector Durin Mysteries [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1657006
Comments: 22
Kudos: 21
Collections: What If? AU Challenge





	1. Trailer

**Author's Note:**

> Written for DW's What If AU's Law Enforcement challenge
> 
> AU in which _The Inspector Durin Mysteries is a 1930s radio series._

“Hello, Bilbo Baggins speaking.”

“Mr Baggins, it’s Inspector Durin here. I wonder if I might come down and consult you? I’m involved with a case where I think your expertise with flowers might assist us.”

“Of course, Inspector, I’d be delighted to see you again.”

_Coming soon, another ‘Inspector Durin Mystery’. A rich man is found early one morning lying dead in his library and Inspector Durin has been called in to investigate. But who has cause to want the man dead? And why has his body been adorned with a wreath of what appear to be specifically chosen flowers?_


	2. Episode One

[ _A voice announces: Inspector Durin Mysteries, The Mysterious Wreath: Episode 1 – Bilbo Baggins is Consulted_ ]

“Come in, inspector,” Bilbo Baggins said. “It’s lovely to see you again.”

“Indeed,” Inspector Thorin Durin replied. He gave one of his rare smiles, much to the surprise of Sgt Dwalin, who was with him.

“Would you like some coffee, or do you want to get straight to work?”

“Coffee would be nice.”

Bilbo made the coffee and led the way into his study. When they were all seated, and Dwalin had started on the plate of homemade biscuits, Bilbo said,” How can I help you?”

“I’m investigating a death. I’m not at liberty to tell you the name of the victim at this time, although you will no doubt discover it from the evening papers.”

Bilbo nodded.

“One detail which is being kept out of the papers, and which I must therefore ask you not to mention, concerns a wreath which was placed on the dead body.”

Bilbo’s eyebrows went up and Thorin showed him a rather grainy photograph.

“I’m not sure how much you can tell from this. We’ve also got this drawing which might help. One of the bobbies is quite a keen gardener – not your standard, of course – and he identified the flowers for us.”

Bilbo looked at the drawing and the photo. “They’re certainly not the flowers one would typically expect in a wreath. You’d have to say this has been specially commissioned.”

“That’s what we suspected. So our murderer didn’t do this on a whim?”

“No, they’d have had to order it in advance and then collect it on the day, which would imply quite a lot of planning.

“Could they have kept it somewhere for a few days?” Dwalin asked.

“Oh no, some of those flowers wouldn’t have lasted.”

“Which means,” Thorin said thoughtfully, “if we can find the florist, we can trace the purchaser.”

“It’s the sort of thing which would be remembered, certainly,” Bilbo agreed.

“Wouldn’t the florist have queried it?” Dwalin said.

“That would be a problem. ‘We wanted mother’s favourite flowers,’ something like that. They wouldn’t need to explain the meaning.”

“These flowers definitely have a meaning?” Thorin asked.

“Oh, yes!”

[ _End of episode music. An announcer’s voice saying ‘Tune in next week for another thrilling instalment’_ ]


	3. Episode Two

[ _A voice announces: Inspector Durin Mysteries, The Mysterious Wreath: Episode 2 – The Meaning of the Wreath_ ]

Bilbo Baggins took another look at the drawing and the photograph, before saying, “Anemones, yellow carnations and peonies. Not what you’d want at all.”

“Why, what do they mean?” Inspector Thorin Durin asked.

“Anemones mean fading hope or feeling forsaken, and peonies mean indignation or shame.”

“What about carnations?” Sgt Dwalin asked. “I always thought they were a very acceptable flower.”

“Oh yes, providing the carnation is red, white or pink. These however are yellow, which means disdain, rejection or disappointment.”

“So whoever left the wreath was sharing their dislike of the victim, but none of those flowers seem particularly threatening,” Thorin said thoughtfully.

“Were you expecting belladonna and poison ivy, inspector?” Bilbo asked.

Thorin looked slightly embarrassed. “They do seem more in keeping.”

“Except the wreath would have been laid on the body after the victim had died, so it would be rather late to make a threat. No, I think these have been left as a message from someone who had felt badly let down by the victim.”

Thorin nodded. “Thank you very much for your time, Mr Baggins. May we use your telephone to contact the Yard before we leave.”

“Of course you may. You remember where it is?”

Dwalin nodded. “I’ll see if they’ve received any further information and ask for a search of florists to be done.”

“Thank you, Dwalin.” Thorin waited until Dwalin had left, before turning back to Bilbo. “I did enjoy our meal the other week. I wonder if you would be interested in repeating the occasion.”

“I would be delighted to do so, but this time it should be my treat. I shall be coming up to London next week, would you be available then?”

Thorin only had time to say he would most certainly be available, when someone knocked loudly on the study door.

“Come in,” Bilbo called, adding, as a young man entered, “Yes, Ori, what is it?”

“I beg your pardon sir, but the police sergeant has asked if the inspector could come to the telephone right away.”

Thorin instantly hurried to the telephone.

“Ori, what’s happened?” Bilbo asked.

“I don’t know. Sergeant Dwalin asked if he could use the telephone, so I left him to make his call in private, and then he shouted out to me to fetch the inspector. He didn’t sound at all happy.”

“No, I don’t suppose he was. I wonder what’s happened now.”

[ _End of episode music. An announcer’s voice saying ‘Tune in next week for another thrilling instalment’_ ]


	4. Episode Three

[ _A voice announces: Inspector Durin Mysteries, The Mysterious Wreath: Episode 3 – More Flowers_ ]

Bilbo and Ori couldn’t help hearing Thorin speaking on the telephone. “What do you mean, no-one saw them? Didn’t anyone see a van? Damn!” 

Thorin called Dwalin back to the telephone to finish giving his instructions, before turning to Bilbo. “I must apologise for my language just then,” he said.

“Please don’t worry,” Bilbo said. “My own language can be rather inappropriate when I am having trouble with my planting. Are you able to share what has happened?”

“Actually, yes. I could do with your help again. Someone has just left two pots of hyacinths by the front door of the victim’s house; would this signify anything?”

“Did they say what colour the hyacinths were?”

“Yes, they did. Purple and yellow.”

Bilbo nodded.

“You don’t seem surprised,” Thorin said.

“Given all that we know so far, I’m not really. Purple hyacinths mean sorrow and the yellow ones mean jealousy. Very similar to what we’ve already discovered.”

“Would they have been ordered at the same time as the wreath?”

“That seems unlikely. Those florists who sell hyacinths in pots have them as bulbs and the buyers grow them on themselves.”

“But if that’s the case, it would imply our murderer has been planning his crime for some time. Of course, I’m assuming the person who left the wreath and the one who left the hyacinths is the same person.”

Bilbo smiled. “I would say that was far more likely than that a second, independent, person was involved.”

Dwalin finished his telephone call and came to join them. 

Thorin glared at him, as if it was entirely Dwalin’s fault that the hyacinths had appeared. “What can you tell me about the arrival of these flowers?” he demanded.

“According to the statement given to Nori, ‘I turned round and there they were’. Nori asked the constable what he’d been distracted by, but he denied any distraction. However when Nori questioned a couple of the other constables who’d been knocking on doors as to whether they’d noticed a florist’s van, one of them mentioned seeing a posh Bentley, so I think we can conclude it was that which took the constable’s attention.”

“A Bentley?” Bilbo said thoughtfully. He got no further, because the telephone rang. Glancing at Thorin for confirmation, he sent Ori to answer it.

They all waited to see who the call was for. Ori didn’t call out to anyone, but simply said, “Oh no! How dreadful. I’ll let him know at once.” before putting the receiver back down.

[ _End of episode music. An announcer’s voice saying ‘Tune in next week for another thrilling instalment’_ ]


	5. Episode Four

[ _A voice announces: Inspector Durin Mysteries, The Mysterious Wreath: Episode 4 – The Owner of the Bentley_ ]

“What is it Ori?” Bilbo asked.

“I’m sorry to have to tell you, sir, but that was Jackson from the Royal Horticultural Society. He said Mr Orc-Bolg is dead.”

“Oh goodness!” Bilbo replied. A quick glance at Thorin confirmed that this was the death he had been talking about. “That’s dreadful. Hyacinths, you said, and a Bentley.”

Thorin looked concerned. “I think you should come and sit down. Ori, go and fetch Mr Baggins a drink of water.”

“What?” Bilbo gave Thorin a very surprised look. “No, I’m all right. Oh, if only you’d told me who your victim was at the beginning it would have saved so much time.”

“Why? What do you know?”

Bilbo accepted the glass of water which Ori pressed into his hand and put it on the table undrunk. “Firstly, I suggest you find Dr Azog as quickly as possible. He’s a horticulturalist, not a medical doctor. I don’t know where he lives exactly, somewhere in London, but I’m sure you can track him down.” Bilbo glared at both the policemen, who failed to move. “He may not be the murderer, but he almost certainly will know something about it. He’s one of the leading authorities on hyacinths, if not the authority, and he drives a beautiful Bentley.”

Thorin looked at Dwalin. “Call it through!” Dwalin hurried off, Ori following after him. “What else can you tell me about this Azog?”

“Well, Orc-Bolg was a former student of Dr Azog. Up until recently I had understood Dr Azog was planning on taking Orc-Bolg as a partner in his business. Dr Azog designs gardens for town houses, which I gather is quite lucrative. And interestingly they’re always very full of symbolism.” Bilbo frowned. “I suppose that makes sense in the circumstances.”

“You said ‘Up until recently’,” Thorin repeated.

“Well, yes. I had heard rumours, and maybe there was nothing to substantiate them, but still … Anyway, Orc-Bolg was apparently setting up on his own account and had stolen a number of Dr Azog’s more prestigious clients. And so we have the wreath: anemones for being forsaken, peonies for indignation and yellow carnations for disappointment and rejection. All very symbolic.”

“What about the hyacinths?”

“Sorrow and jealousy. Plus, I suspect, a comment that ‘I, like my flowers, are still alive; you, like the wreath, are dead’.”

“It certainly makes for a plausible motive and fits your understanding of Azog. Proving the case may be slightly harder, although I have high hopes that we can link the wreath back to him.”

“Check the underneath of the pots the hyacinths were in. Dr Azog always uses ones with his own mark on them. And I really can’t see he would leave anything other than his own plants.”

Dwalin returned to join them, having made his call. “They’re onto it, sir.”

“Right,” Thorin replied. “We must get back now. Thank you for all your help, Mr Baggins, I’ll be sure to check out the plant pots. And I look forward to our dinner next week.”

“It was a pleasure to see you again, Inspector Durin, and you too Sergeant Dwalin. I too look forward to dinner.”

Bilbo waved from the front steps as the two policemen drove away, then turned and walked back into the house, smiling to himself in anticipation of his forthcoming dinner.

[ _End of episode music. An announcer’s voice saying ‘Thank you for listening to the Inspector Durin Mysteries’_ ]


End file.
